Reed for looms



Sept l, 1942. N. s. HARTER 2,294,368

REED FOR LOMS Filed Sept. 25, 1940 s sheets-sheet 1 [mentar /l/o/f 5. H4675@ .Il TIIIII llllll I Q3 Il Til TIL TII Tll. Il Tl! Tll 3| mw f\ f nwl- 2 n rl.

, m N km W E m r w .v M ILl H m w Sept. l, 1942.

hwedo: /1/04/7/ 5. H4 TEE,

Sept 1, 1942. N. s. HARTER 2,294,368

REED FOR LOOMS 742g? r E l 3 HHM im l H L fwenfa: /Vow 5. 'Hq/755;

Patented Sept. 1, 1942 2,294,368 REED Fon LooMs Noah S. Harter, Waukegan, Ill., assigner to The American Steel and Wire Company of New Jersey, a corporation of New Jersey Application September 25, 19j10, Serial No. 358,346

2 claims. (ci. 1%9-192) This invention relates to looms for Weaving fabrics, and particularly to the weaving of metallic wire, although not limited thereto.

Heretofore, reeds for use in looms have been constructed of a plurality of individual comb elements called dents, mounted in a iectangular frame so as to provide a plurality of vertically extending slots for the accommodation of warp elements, the slots being closed at the tops and bottoms thereof. The warp elements are passed through the slots in thereed thus constructed, and heddles are provided to form a shed in the warp, through which weft elements are passed.

in front of the reed. The reed is then oscillated forwardly so as to push the weft element in to the points of convergence of the shed of the warp elements.

Reeds constructed in accordance with the foregoing have been open to the objections, first, that the warp elements had to be threaded through the slots, necessitating the availability of a free end of the warp strands for this purpose and, further, that because of the necessity for accurately spacing the Warp strands, difficulty was encountered in passing the tied or spliced portions of the warp strands through the slots. In wire practice, spliced portions of the warp wires represent portions at least twice the diameter of the individual wires, and the reed slots had to be made sufciently large to pass these splices. If of sufficient size to do this without diiculty, the accurate spacing between adjacent warp wires could not be maintained, thus giving rise to the production of spacy fabric. By making these slots withinthe closest practicable limits, difculty was encountered in the breaking of the warp wire at the splice as it passed through the reed slots.

This latter condition is considerably aggravated by virtue of the fact that the reed must pass back and forth across a splice several times before the splice advances beyond the sphere of action of the reed into the fabric. For example, if a reed has a six inch cycle of oscillation in the production of rectangular mesh fabric having four wires to the running inch, a reed will pass back and forth across the warp wire splice about twenty-four times before that splice will have passed beyond the reeds range of action.

In my pending application, Serial No. 234,853, filed October 13, 1938, for Hardware and screen cloth machines, I have disclosed an improved design of reed wherein many of the difliculties herein discussed have been obviated. The present invention constitutes further improvement in these directions, and also constitutes a modified construction of reed wherein new and unrelated improvements and advantages are realized.

In my copending application, above referred to, I disclosed the principle of constituting the reed of dents of special design, whereby olset wire bearings are provided so as to confine the warp wires against lateral displacement when under tension, but in which a sufficient amount of clearance is provided to by-pass splices or other enlarged portions present in the warp wires. This principle has worked out satisfactorily, but by virtue of the fact that the cooperating wire bearings in such dents are spaced so closely together in directions longitudinally of the warp wires, there is still a tendency to mutilate the splices or break the wires when the reed is passed backwards and forwards thereover. 4

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a reed construction wherein the wire bearings are so placed as to permit the pas sage of splices in the warp elements without mutilation while at the same time affording accurate spacing between the latter.

It is another object to provide an improved form of reed in which the warp elements may be introduced thereto in a simplified manner without the necessity of threading a free end of" each warp strand through closed slots.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent hereinafter when the following specication is read with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l represents a plan view of a preferred form of my invention;

Figure 2 represents a front elevational view of the construction illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 represents a sectional view taken along line III--III in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view of one form of the present invention showing the relation of the wire bearings on the dents to warp Wires passing therethrough;

Figure 5 illustrates conventional types of reeds, showing the difliculties attendant thereupon as compared with the construction of Figure 4;

Figure 6 represents a primary reed section, a/'ccording to one form of the invention, as viewed in front elevation; A

Figure 7 is a view corresponding to Figure 6 of a secondary reed section; and

Figures 8 and 9 are side elevational views of the dents shown in the constructions of Figures 6 and '7, respectively.

Referring now more particularly to the drawin which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout. I have illustrated in Fig- 'ures 1, 2 and 3 my improved reed construction associated with a beater frame assembly.

In Figures 1 through 3, the reference numeral l I indicates a pair of oppositely disposed side trames, which are ada-pted to carry the reed asfsembly, and to oscillate it backwards and fori wards in the weaving operation. elements I are provided with bearing portions 2 l on which is seated cross member 3, which is suitl ably bolted thereto as shown at 4.

The side frame The cross member is provided with an olset i portion 5 along its front face, and a slot or way 1 6 extending parallel and coextensive with the ofiset portion 5, and spaced a substantialy distance therefrom toward the rear of the assembly.

A plurality of dents III, shown in greater detail in Figures 6 through 9 are stood on end UDOn the oiiset'portion 5 at the front face of the cross member 3, in which position they are held by i clamps 'I, suitably anchored in position by bolts 3. A secondary assembly of dents I I is arranged in the way'or slot 6 by bolts 9, shown in broken lines in Figure 3.

Inasmuch as it is sometimes necessary to rein the case of the primary reed shown in Figures l 6 and 8. Each dent is an elongated solid of substantially rectangular section, having wire guiding portions I2 upon opposite edges thereof and a wire bearing portion I3. A plurality of openings I4 are provided in the lower portions of the reed to receive tie rods I5, upon which a plurality of `dents are impaled with spacing means such as `cup washers I 6 interposed therebetween. ltie rods I5 may be upset at their ends to lock l the dents in position.

The

The secondary reed sections are illustrated by Figures 7 and 9. These comprise a plurality of dents II secured together, as in the case of the primary reed, by tie rods I'I. The dents II are slightly smaller in section than the dents comprising the primary reed, and the spacing washers I8 afford greater clearance between the dents of the secondary reed II than do the cup Wash- `ersyI6 between the dents of the primary reed I0.

As will be seen from Figure 9, the dents of -the secondary reed are provided with chamfered portions I2', corresponding to the wire guiding portions ofthe dents I0' in Figure 8, and wire bear- `ing portions I3', likewise corresponding to the primary dent portions y I3.

Referring to Figures 1 and 3, it will be perceived that the primary and secondary reed panels are mounted so as to afford a considerable spacing X therebetween. By reference to Figure 4, the value of this spacing will be readily apfparent. `the primary and secondary reeds are so disposed in relation to each other as to support warp The wire bearing portions I3-I3 of `wires securely against lateral displacement when lthe latter are lying therebetween in straight lines under tension. Nevertheless, it will be seen that the distance between the bearing I3 and the bearing I3', as is afforded by the clearance such as the spliced ends thereof, in passing therethrough.

The slots formed by adjacent dent elements in both the primary and secondary reeds are of sufficient size to pass splices, etc., without mutilation. In Figure 5 there is illustrated an old type of reed in which the individual slots Y have to be of sumcient width to pass splices, etc. Thus, thereoften results theA condition illustrated herein; namely, that the spacing A between the lefthand warp wires is less than the spacing B between the right-hand warp wires, as viewed in this ligure. This gives rise to the condition known as spacy fabric, which is overcome by the improved reed construction of the present invention.

As is best seen in Figures 2 and 3, the reed assembly in its preferred form does not provide for the closing of the warp wire slots, but, rather, these latter are left open in order that the wires may be laid into position without regard to a free end thereof, as is necessary in threading up the old types of reeds.

It will, of course, be understood that by virtue of the deection caused by the shed, as is shown in Figure 3, it is preferable that the secondary reed I I be carried sutllciently high so as always to maintain the warp wires Within the confine of its slots when in retracted position, as shown in broken lines in Figure 3. Thus I have illustrated the secondary reed panel as standing higher than the primary reed panel, although so long as the above condition is satisfied, they may obviously be of the same length..

In order that the reed may be adapted to the needs of the loom illustrated in my copending application above referred to, I have shown thedents of the primary reed panel I0 as being provided with slots 20 extending transversely between the wire bearing l(portions of adjacent dents. When the dents are assembled, these slots 20 align to constitute a guideway longitudinally of the reed panel through which weft wires may be passed. As is explained in my application aforementioned, the weft guide 20 is provided with a suitable closure 2|, and an operating mechanism 22, which, because they form no part of the present invention, will not be described in greater detail here.

Similarly the left-hand end reed section of the beater frame, as viewed in Figure 2, is provided with a shear blade 23, which is assembled in parallel relation to the dents I0, and might, in fact, be comprised of one of them. The shear blade cooperates with a stationary weft wire guide 24 through which lengths of weft wire are introduced into the weft guide slot 20 from an endless supply. As the reed is oscillated in the performance of the weaving operation, the end mechanical adaptions intended to provide suit- X, is sufficiently great as to permit the accomable terminal portions upon the reed panel, and require no further elaboration or description.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided an improved reed construction in which disadvantages of the prior art, as discussed in my copending application, have been overcome,

and in which I have furthered the improved reed design disclosed therein. Similarly, I have provided a reed into which the warp wires may be introduced without regard to the free ends of the wires, as has heretofore been the case; a feature which greatly facilitates the threading-up and initial operation of the machine.

It will be obvious from lthe foregoing that many modifications may be made in the exact construction and design of parts, herein set forth for purposes of illustration only, without departing from the spirit of the invention as is apprehended in and by the appended claims. For instance, it will be appreciated that the primary and secondary dents I and Il may be made in one piece, as shown in Figure l0 of my cepending application. This could be effected in accordance with the present invention by making each pair of primary and secondary dents of a cast or forged body having a relatively heavy section, providing the offset bearings I3 and I3' in the same relative position, as is shown in Figure 4, whereby there would be but one dent between adjacent warp wires. Similarly, this could be effected by sheet metal dents disposed between adjacent warp wires, which dents would have a reversed curvature or S bend, whereby the requisite spacing longitudinally of the wire could be had, and, at the same time; the necessaryconiining effect transversely of the wires realized when the latter were properly tensioned.

I claim:

1. A reed for wire fabric machines, comprising a primary and a secondary set of dents arranged in spaced relation longitudinally of warp wires to be associated therewith, each of said dents being of less dimension transversely of the Warp wire than the spacing between vadjacent warp wires, one primary dent and one secondary dent being disposed between each adjacent pair of warp wires, and being offset in directions longitudinally of the latter so that each primary dent bears against the relatively rightward warp wire, and each secondary dent bears against the relatively leftward warp wire.

2. A reed for wire fabric machines, comprising a primary and a secondary set oi' dents arranged in spaced relation longitudinally of warp wires to be associated therewith, each of said dents being of less dimension transversely of the warp wires than the spacing between adjacent warp wires, one primary dent and one secondaryvdent being disposed between each adjacent pair of warp wires and being offset in directions longitudinally of .the latter so that each primary dent bears against the relatively rightward warp wire, and each secondary dent bears against the relatively leftward warp wire, and means for guiding weft elements across the reed carried by said primary set of dents. y

NOAH S. HARTER. 

